Progressive Agenda

Voting & Elections Policy

Our values: Freedom, liberty, fundamental rights, basic rights, democracy

Our vision: In America, the right to vote is a fundamental freedom. And because we are the leading democracy in the world, our election system ought to be completely free, fair and accessible. The way we conduct elections today is obsolete. We need to eliminate long lines, cut costs, make it more convenient for eligible citizens to vote, maintain the integrity of the voting system, and stop the rich and powerful from exercising undue influence on the process. In short, we must: (1) guarantee that every citizen can register to vote; (2) ensure that all citizens can cast their ballots; and (3) crack down on the way campaign financing corrupts public policy.

Ensure that every citizen can register

In a democracy, every citizen ought to vote and the first step is universal registration. A progressive system registers voters automatically, for example, when anyone who is eligible to vote gets a driver’s license or receives a public service. Registration should also be offered at polling places on Election Day, at state and local government offices, and online through the Internet. And no one outside of prison should be disenfranchised because of a criminal conviction.

Ensure that every citizen can vote

There should be no barriers to prevent eligible citizens from voting. Governments should permit vote by mail, early voting and no-excuse-needed absentee ballots, and ensure that workers can get time off to vote. Election materials should be available in other languages where needed. Voting machines should be absolutely reliable, counting every vote. Governments should crack down on any voter intimidation or use of fraud for voter suppression. Americans should have the freedom to vote made clear in state constitutions. And to ensure that every vote counts equally in presidential elections, states should adopt the National Popular Vote.

Reform campaign financing

Money has an outsized influence on our current electoral system, endangering our representative democracy. Poll after poll shows that voters think the political system is controlled by big companies, political action committees, and rich individuals. Because of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and the activism of right-wing billionaires, the amount of money pouring into political campaigns through independent expenditures has grown exponentially. The growing cost associated with running for office makes campaigns prohibitively expensive for most Americans, thus restricting the freedom to run for office to a small minority of the population. In addition, with the rising cost of running for office, candidates need to spend more time fundraising, which restricts their ability to meet with and listen to their constituents. The system is broken and the only real solution is public financing of election campaigns. New York City’s law, for example, requires participating candidates to limit campaign spending; in exchange, a public fund will match small donations. Connecticut provides a good public financing model as well.

FEATURED POLICIES FOR 2024

Safeguard the integrity of our democracy

In 2020, right-wing extremists tried to destroy our democratic system by having election officials lie about election results. Those extremists are now actively preparing to reject truthful vote counts in 2024. The Safeguard Fair Elections Act blocks efforts to subvert democracy by disqualifying any public official who refuses, without legitimate evidence, to certify the actual vote counts or results of an election.

Allow older teens to serve as poll workers

In general, poll workers are, on average, increasing in age and recruiting new ones is difficult, especially in counties with declining populations. The Poll Worker Investment Act would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to serve as precinct officials under the supervision of adults. It’s an investment in the future of our democracy.

Protect voters from intimidation

Too many Americans are prevented from exercising their right to vote because of voter intimidation or suppression. Although voter intimidation is illegal under the federal Voting Rights Act, most violators are never punished. In addition, federal law does not prohibit willfully fraudulent voter suppression tactics and it does nothing to prevent or address mistakes. States can adopt a Voter Protection Act, which employs three avenues to ensure that every eligible voter can vote: First, impose heavy penalties for both voter intimidation and fraudulent suppression. Second, require every polling place to post a Voter’s Bill of Rights (as some states do). Third, create an Election Day Manual of Procedures that sets out election rules, and make it available to both voters and officials at the polls.

Promote voting at college campuses

In the 2022 and 2023 elections, at least some colleges produced huge turnouts. And yet, some state and local officials have been closing polling places located on college campuses in order to suppress student voting. Under federal law, students have the right to vote in their college town if they consider it their primary residence. The Right to Vote at College Campuses Act requires on-campus polling places wherever there are large numbers of students, as Illinois has done.

Require honesty in campaign disclosures

Rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court have made it impossible to prevent unlimited election campaign spending by special interests. The only regulation allowed is public disclosure and it is essential that voters be able to easily distinguish between paid election campaign communications from candidates and those from special interests. The Honesty in Election Campaign Disclosures Act specifies that authority lines on campaign ads must make it clear who has authorized such ads.

Allow everyone to vote by mail

The 2020 election proved that voting by mail is very popular and makes the ballot box more accessible. The Vote by Mail Act requires that all registered voters be mailed a ballot and that they can vote by returning that ballot by mail, by voting at an early voting center, or by voting at a polling place on Election Day.

Allow Election Day registration

Twenty-one states now allow voters to register on Election Day with proper identification. This is a great step toward making our election systems as fair, efficient and accessible as possible. Election Day registration tends to increase voter participation and, if people are wrongly deleted from the registration rolls, they can still vote.

Promote voter registration to new residents

Whenever people move, they should register to vote or update their preexisting voter registration. That’s why Seattle enacted a simple ordinance that requires landlords to provide information on voter registration and a registration form to new tenants. This can and should be replicated on the state and local levels. The Register New Residents Act goes a step further and also requires sellers to provide the same information to home buyers at settlement.

Provide online or automatic registration

Every election cycle, millions of Americans find that they cannot exercise their right to vote because of inefficient or outdated registration systems. Because of human or system error—a misplaced form or a data-entry mistake—paper-based voter registration systems bar many citizens from accessing the ballot box. At the same time, the systems of paper registration forms that jurisdictions continue to use simply cost too much; they require millions of person-hours by government employees or contractors to maintain and use. Fortunately, states can curb these costs while also producing fewer errors by adopting automated online voter registration systems. Better still, eight states have adopted automatic voter registration where eligible citizens who interact with government agencies are registered to vote unless they decline, and agencies transfer the registration information electronically to election officials. This reform boosts registration rates, saves tax dollars, and makes voting more convenient.

Permit primary election voting at age 17

Young people usually vote at the lowest rates. Expanding their voting rights will help engage young people in the political process, which strengthens our democracy. The Primary Voting at Age 17 Act allows 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 by the date of the general election, a policy that has proven successful in more than a dozen states.

Update our voting systems

Some voting systems still do not leave a verifiable paper trail. Experts worry that some election technology could be hacked or attacked. The Voting Systems Reform Act ensures that every jurisdiction uses modern, accurate and auditable technology.

Implement the National Popular Vote

Because of the states’ winner-take-all systems of selecting who votes in the Electoral College, the popular vote loser was chosen President in two of the last five elections. This is undemocratic. The National Popular Vote Agreement Act is an agreement among the states to elect as President the candidate who won the most votes. This agreement has been enacted into law in 11 states with 165 electoral votes and it will take effect when enacted by states that control 105 more electoral votes. It has already passed one house in 12 additional states with a total of 96 electoral votes.

Clean elections

Americans are disgusted by the way massive campaign contributions corrupt the democratic process and give unfair advantages to the wealthy and well-connected. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and the activism of ultra-right wing billionaires makes the situation even worse. Americans want and expect us to do something about it. Public funding of state and local elections works. New York City’s law, for example, requires participating candidates to limit campaign spending; in exchange, a public fund will match each dollar a city resident contributes to the candidate up to $175 with six dollars in public funds for a maximum of $1,050 in public funds per donor. This kind of system increases the value of small donations and encourages more people at varying income levels to participate in the electoral process.